Bowler, James Madison, 1838?-1916

James Madison Bowler was born in Lee, Maine, on January 10, 1838, the son of Edward and Clara Augusta (Smith) Bowler. He was educated in Lee and Falmouth, Maine, and engaged in school teaching and other occupations. In 1857, he left Maine, arriving in St. Anthony, Minnesota, in 1858. While in St. Anthony he was a printer for Croffut and Clark, and he later (1859-1860) taught school in Nininger, Minnesota.

He enlisted in the First Minnesota Regiment, Company E, on August 11, 1861. Before he left for the South he joined the Third Minnesota Regiment, Company F. Bowler took part in most of the major engagements of the regiment, both in the South and in the 1862 U.S.-Dakota War. In 1865 he was made a major of the 113th U.S. Colored Infantry and took part in Reconstruction activities in Arkansas through his muster out on April 9, 1866. The regiment was formed by a consolidation of a number of battalions, including elements of the Third Minnesota Regiment.

Following his army service Bowler returned to Minnesota and engaged in a number of occupations, including farming and railroad construction. The family lived in Nininger, Minneapolis, Bird Island, and St. Paul. Bowler was a representative in the Minnesota Legislature (1878); state dairy commissioner (1891); and Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 1896 and 1898.

On November 20, 1862, Bowler married Elizabeth Sarah Caleff, daughter of Samuel and Susan (Justason) Caleff, who had come to Nininger in 1856. James Bowler died on May 17, 1916 in St. Paul. Elizabeth Bowler moved to Crow Wing County, Minnesota, in 1920 and resided there until her death in Deerwood Township, January 24, 1931.

From the guide to the James M. Bowler and Family Papers, 1827-1976., (Minnesota Historical Society)